Snap flask



Jan. 14,1941. I w..J.sP1-:Ns1.Y 2,228,856

SNAP FLASK Filed May 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 14, 1941. w. J. SPENSLEY 2,228,856

SNAP FLASK Filed May 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1a 21 A I- 4 29 43 I I V 22 62 :l 6

Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,228,856 I SNAP FLASK poration of Iowa Application May 12, 1938, Serial No. 207,526

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to foundry flasks and has special reference to a snap flask of novel construction and a novel corner lock therefor.

One of the principal sources of diiflculty with snap flasks is the corner construction, and particularly the means for securing the open corners together. These fastening devices, commonly called corner locks, must, for satisfactory service, maintain the flask rigid and secure l0 the walls against misalignment in each direction, and must securely lock the corners together. With the prior art constructions these functions have not been satisfactorily performed. In some instances the locks have been prone to work loose under the action of jolting machines. In other cases there has been an excessive amount of up and down play between the ends which has increased with the period of service. In still other cases there has been a tendency for the ends to wear away and the flask to change dimensions. In all cases the locks have been slow in operation and cumbersome in use.

An object of the invention is the provision of a generally improved snap flask having improved means for locking the corners thereof to provide a rigid flask.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a snap flask having corner locking means capable of adjustment to maintain rigidity of the flask as the parts wear.

I have also aimed to provide a corner lock for snap flasks of improved construction and capable of operation in an improved, speedier manner.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a corner lock shaped to provide abutment for the ends of the flask and to guide the ends into engagement.

A further aim of the invention is the provision of a corner lock having improved means for adjusting the same.

A further 'object is the provision of a snap flask wherein the free ends of the flask are secured at spaced points adjacent the two edges 45 thereof whereby the edges are prevented from squeezing out, or distortion.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description and the drawings in which Figure 1 is an end view of a snap flask embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side view of one corner of the lower section;

- Fig. 4 is a top view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top view partly in section showing the corner lock in an open position, and

Fig. 6 is a view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The invention contemplates a snap flask of the type having a cope as shown at 1 and a .5 drag 8 adapted to be used in accordance with conventional foundry practice. Ears 9 and. are attached to opposite ends of the cope and carry bearing members l2 and I3 which receive pins l4 and [5 attached to opposite ends of the 10 drag as shown at IS, the pins and ears serving to maintain the cope and drag in alignment and permit removal of the cope from the drag in the usual manner. The bearing members l2 and [3 are adjustable by means of screws IT, as is 15 well known in the art.

While the invention is in no wise limited thereto, the cope and drag are in this instance formed of wood and have metal strips along their upper and lower edges as indicated at l8 for the pur- 20 pose of protecting the edges. So far as this invention is concerned, the cope and the drag are identical in construction with the exception of the width or thickness thereof, that is, the distance from edge to edge, and I will there- 25 fore apply the description to only one of said members, it being understood that the other member is of like construction. In accordance with conventional practice, the side wall [9 and the end wall 2| are integral and the side wall Q 22 and end wall 23 are integral, the two sections being connected together at one corner by means of a hinge member as shown at 24, the

.opposite corner thereof being connected by a corner look, as will presently be described. The 35 hinge 24 is so constructed as to maintain the hinged ends of the two sections rigidly in alignment and permit of substantially no twisting or tilting of one section with respect to the other and to prevent lateral movement of the sections with respect to each other. The opposite ends of the sections are releasably connected together by means of a corner lock, the structure and. operation of which is shown more particularly in Figs. 3 to 6. This lock includes a lever section indicated generally by the numeral 25 and a pawl section indicated by the numeral 26, the sections being attached to the end wall 2| and the side wall 22, respectively, and adapted to interfit and engage at the corner at which the flask opens, that is, the corner diagonally opposite from the hinge 24. The lever section 25 has a frame piece 21 attached to the end wall 2| by means of screws 28. The forward end of the frame piece has a transverse shoulder 29 at right 3 angles to the face of the frame piece and adapted to abut the end of the end wall 2|. The lever section has a pair of ears 3| projecting outward beyond the flanged end thereof between which is positioned the bearing portion 32 of an actuating lever 33, the bearing portion being pivotally supported on the ears by means of a bolt 34 extending through the ears and through the bearing portion. Integral with the bearing portion 32 are actuating arms 35 and 36 extending therefrom in opposite directions, the arm 35 extending outwardly and curving backwardly toward the frame piece 21 as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The arm 36 has a shank portion 31 extending from the bearing portion at substantially 180 from the arm 35 and a flat enlarged end portion 38, the end portion having shoulders 39 and 4| on opposed sides of the shank 31 (note Fig. 3).

The pawl section 25 is likewise provided with a frame piece 42 secured to the side wall 22 by means of screws 43 and 44. The forward end is also provided with a transverse flanged portion 45 adapted to seat against the end of the side wall 22. The flanged portion 45 is provided with forwardly extending fingers 46 and 4'! having lower abutment surfaces 48 and 49 adapted to abut against the end flan'ge 29 of the lever section as shown in Fig. 4 and with sloping cam surfaces 5| and 52 adapted to abut against sloping shoulders 53 and 54 formed on the ears 3| of the lever section. The outer sides 55 and 56 of the ears 3| are sloped inwardly from the exterior surface of the frame piece toward the free edge of the flange 29 as shown in Fig. 6 so that the space between the surfaces 55 and 55 is less adjacent the free edge of the flange than adjacent the outer surface. The fingers 46 and 41 are spaced so as to receive the ears therebetween and so that the inner surface of the fingers will wedge over the surfaces 55 and 56 and thereby prevent edgewise relative movement between the lever section and the pawl section. This structure also serves to guide the two parts together when the flask is brought into locking position. Furthermore, it provides a metal to metal contact between the lever and pawl sections of the lock. The face of the frame piece 42 is provided with a shallow recess 5'! within which is seated a plate 58 having a slot 59 for the reception of a screw 6! threaded into the frame piece 42 and having a large head 62 adapted to abut against the face of the plate 58. The plate has a flange 63 provided with a threaded opening 84 for the reception of an adjusting screw 65 which is seated against a fixed flange 56 on the frame piece 42. Rotation of the screw 65 serves to adjust the longitudinal position of the plate 58. Positioned on the forward end of the plate are spaced pawls 51 and 68 integral therewith having sloping forward faces 69 and H and latch faces 12 and I3 approaching but not quite reaching the perpendicular with respect to the face of the plate. These pawls in this instance rest directly above the fingers 46 and 41 and are adapted to be engaged by the shoulders 39 and 4| of the lever 36 whereby to draw the fingers 46 and 41 into locked positions against the cam faces 53 and 54 and the surfaces 55 and 55 as the lever 36 is moved downward toward the plate 58.

The operation of the device will be plain from the construction. In Figs. 2 and 3 the lock is shown in the engaged position with the shoulders 39 and 4| in engagement with the faces 12 and 13 of the pawls, the lever being forced downward until the parts are drawn tightly into position. In order to release the lock the operator strikes the arm 35 with the palm of the hand forcing the same into the position shown in Fig. 5, thereby moving the shoulders 39 and 4| free of the pawls iii and 68, whereupon the two sections of the cope or drag may be separated. In locking up the flask the operation is reversed, the operator bringing the two ends of the section together, the walls 55 and 5B and the fingers 46 and 4f guiding the parts into proper position. Thereupon the operator strikes the flat portion 38 of the arm 35 with the palm of the hand forcing the shoulders 39 and 4| into the position shown in Fig. 4.

Attention is directed to the numerous advantages and improvements over the art. It will be observed that the fingers 46 and 41 function to guide the parts of the flask into their seated position and thus facilitate the work. When the ends of the flask sections come together, they come into metal to metal contact thereby definitely locating the relationship of the parts. When the arm 36 is moved inward to lock the corners, the fingers are drawn tightly against the shoulders 53 and 54 and against the walls 55 and 58, whereby relative edgewise movement of the parts is substantially prevented. Furthermore, because of the wedge-shaped configuration of the parts, the two adjoining walls are prevented from movement out of a true right angle due to engagement of the shoulders 5| and 53, and the shoulders 52 and 54 as well as the abutment of the lower edges 48 and 49 of the fingers against the flange 29.

It will further be observed that the two locking points are located adjacent the upper and lower edges of the cope or drag, thereby preventing tilting of either wall about its longitudinal axis, which action is common in flask constructions due to the pressure exerted in squeezing the mold.

Attention is further directed to the fact that the position of the pawls 61 and 68 is adjustable so as to compensate for wear on the pawl surfaces and in the bearing pin or bolt 34, whereby as wear occurs the position of the pawls is adjusted so as to maintain the various cam surfaces in their proper operative position.

While I have thus described and illustrated a specific embodiment of the invention, I am aware that numerous alterations and changes may be made within the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited except as required by the scope of the appended claims, in which I claim:

1. The combination in a snap flask of side walls having adjoining ends forming a corner, a lever pivotally supported on one side wall adjacent the end thereof having an arm extending along the side of said side wall and an arm extendin in the general direction of said other side wall, said arms being shaped and positioned for selective actuation by striking with the palm of the hand to rotate the lever between an engaged and a disengaged position, and means on the other side wall for engagement by the lever to lock said side walls together.

2. The combination in a snap flask of side Walls having adjoining ends forming a corner and a corner lock for 'releasably securing said ends together comprising a lever section and a pawl section secured to said adjoining ends, said pawl section including a frame piece and a pawhsaid lever section including a'frame piece and a lever for selectively engaging said pawl pivotally carried thereon intermediate the ends of the lever to provide opposed arms projecting along each of said side walls, said arms being positioned and shaped to be actuated in a direction toward the adjacent side walls to selectively engage and disengage said sections, and means on said frame pieces for preventing relative movement between said pieces other than engaging and disengaging movement.

3. The combination in a snap flask of the type having side walls provided with adjoining ends to form a corner, of a corner lock for releasably securing said ends together comprising a pawl frame piece secured to one of said side walls at the end, said frame piece having fingers spaced laterally of said side wall and projecting from r the end thereof, a pawl piece adjustably secured to said frame piece having spaced pawls, a lever frame piece secured to the other wall and provided with longitudinally extending spaced upper and lower ears, the remote faces of said ears having surfaces relatively converging in the direction of said pawl frame piece and spaced converging abutments at right angles to said faces, said faces and abutments providing seats for said fingers to relatively secure said side walls against edgewise movement, against endwise movement, and against rotation about their longitudinal centers, and a lever pivoted on said sears for engagement with said pawls to secure said fingers in said 1 seats.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 wherein said lever is pivoted intermediate its ends to provide opposed arms extending along said side walls for actuation between engaged and disengaged positions by alternate movement of said arms toward the side walls, said arms being shaped to provide relative broad and fiat surfaces for contact with the palm of the operators hand to provide for actuation of the lever between said positions by selectively striking the arms with the palm of the hand.

5. The combination in a corner lock for snap flasks of the type having side walls and adjoining ends forming a corner, of a pawl section having a frame piece including a portion parallel with and secured to one of said side walls and a portion overlying the end thereof, abutment means on the overlying portion extending at right angles to said end and spaced pawls on said parallel portion, and a lever section having a frame piece including a portion parallel with and secured to the other of said side walls and a portion overlying the end thereof, abutment means on said end portion shaped for cooperation with said first mentioned abutment means to prevent relative movement of said side walls in edgewise or inconverging directions, and a lever on said last mentioned end portion for engaging said pawls, pivotally mounted in a plane spaced from the outer surface of the first mentioned side wall a distance suii'icient to cause that portion of the lever between the pivotal mounting and the pawls to pass through said plane duringengaging and disengaging movement thereof.

6. The combination in a snap flask of side walls having adjoining ends forming a corner and a corner lock for releasably securing said ends together comprising a lever section having a frame piece secured to one side wall adjacent the end thereof and overlying a portion of the end, and a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on an axis lying in a plane substantially bisecting said corner, said lever having opposed arms projecting along said side walls for actuation in either direction by selectively striking opposed ends thereof, a pawl section having a frame piece secured to the other of said side walls and overlying the end thereof, interfitting means on said overlying portions shaped to prevent relative edgewise and relative converging movement of said side walls, said pawl section having pawls on said frame piece spaced from said interfitting means for engagement by said lever to prevent spreading movement of said side walls, and means for adjusting the relative positions of said lever and said pawls to take up for wear between said frame pieces and between said lever and said pawls.

7. The combination in a snap flask of side walls having adjoining ends forming a corner, and a corner lock for releasably securing said ends together comprising a lever section and a pawl section secured to said adjoining ends, each of said sections having frame pieces attached to said side walls adjacent the ends thereof, one of said pieces having spaced fingers projecting from the end thereof and the other piece having a portion shaped for entry between said fingers and abutment thereagainst to wedge therebetween for preventing edgewise movement of said side walls, said pawl section including a plurality of pawls on said pawl frame piece spaced laterally of said side wall with a pawl in close proximity to the opposite edges thereof, means for simultaneously adjusting the position of said pawls on the frame piece, said lever section including a lever pivotally carried on the other of said frame pieces for rotation between a position engaging said pawls and a disengaged position, said pawls and said lever being shaped to urge said fingers and said portion into engagement upon rotation of the lever to the engaged position.

WILLIAM J. SPENSLEY. 

